The winery has made some very good Sangiovese-based wines, called Firebreak after a vineyard that was replanted after being destroyed by fire. To date there have been 500-800 cases of this wine, which generally contains 17%-20% Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend to provide bulk, color, and depth. The excellent 1992 Firebreak reveals a sweet, cherry, leathery, spicy-scented nose, medium body, a soft belly of fruit, and a clean, crisp finish. It should be drunk before the end of the century.
This winery continues to build on their fine reputation, pushing the quality to higher and higher levels. Shafer's 50-acre estate vineyard, located in the heart of the Stags Leap District, is supplemented by an additional 70 acres in Carneros. The winery continues to be innovative, offering a very good Sangiovese called Firebreak that has a small percentage (usually less than 20%) of Cabernet Sauvignon included in the blend for color and bulk.
Tel. (707) 944-2877